AJC Conclave 2008

I have just returned from the 2008 AJC Conclave in San Francisco. Among other things there were several ordinations. The Rev. Ms. Juliana Carnes and I were ordained to the Deaconate, and Rev. Mr. Tim Mansfield and Rev. Deacon Stu Berry were ordained to the Priesthood. Very exciting. We also saw the promotion of Fr. Scott Rassbach to Archpriest, and the baptism of our new brother Bray Weaver. Congratulations all around!

I was also officially appointed Rector of the St. Sarah the Egyptian Parish of the AJC, so now that’s official. Now our next step is to file incorporation papers with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, paid for through the generous gifts of Fr. Tim Mansfield and Fr. Scott Rassbach. Things are happening and it’s all very exciting!

I’m sure there are a million more things to talk about, but I’m still recovering and trying to get back to a normal routine. Don’t miss our discussion on the Hermetic magical system of the Secret Book of John on May 26th. More specific details to follow within the next few days as I get them sorted out, so watch this space and the Meetup group (link on the right) for updates.

 

Upcoming Narthex Meeting dates

I just thought I would post the dates I’m suggesting for our upcoming Narthex meetings. The AJC is updating the website to include all of the real-world stuff that we’re doing, so I had to get on the ball and do some planning. Our church is really heading in a great direction and I’m truly excited that I get to be around for it. Please let me know if you can make these dates. If enough of us can’t make a certain date then we can find another that works.

• Sep 29
• Oct. 13
• Nov 17
• Dec 22
• Jan 12
• Feb 9
• Mar 22
• Apr 12
• May 24

As always, it would help me tremendously if you could RSVP either in a comment here, an email to me, or the Meetup Group (my preferred way).

 

Saint Antônio de Sant’Anna Galvão

Today Pope Benedict XVI Canonized Brazil’s first saint, Saint Antônio de Sant’Anna Galvão, popularly known as Frei Galvão (Friar Galvão, links at the bottom). Normally this wouldn’t be something that I cared very much about, but this morning something happened that could be easily explained, but there are no coincidences, right?

I sleep with the TV on. Bad habit? Environmentally poor choice? Single? Yeah sure, but there you have it. I’ve also been known to put on the Catholic station and fall asleep to the mass. I enjoy watching the seminarians making mistakes and falling all over themselves, it makes me feel better about my own inadequacy as a student of religion. But maybe that’s a subject for another time… Anyway, I fell asleep with the Catholic channel on, and I had an odd dream.

I was watching the Pope Canonize a new saint. This saint was a man/goat. At the same time he looked both exactly like a goat and exactly like a man. Why the Pope was Canonizing a living man/goat was not explained to me. Usually man/goats are dead before they’re Canonized. Dreams are funny.

As the rite progressed I could see that the Pope was holding a silver trowel. This was obviously some ritual tool and it made me think of the Masons. The Pope then, quite unexpectedly, slit the man/goat’s throat with the trowel. I was shocked, but I figured that the man/goat needed to be killed because the Church couldn’t have a living saint. I woke up.

Now, what makes this significant, other than the dream about a Canonization on the day when a new saint was being Canonized, was that one of the relics associated with Frei Galvão is a trowel. He built a monastery by hand for an order of Nuns in Brazil.

All of this can be easily explained away by the TV being on, and the news when I woke up was indeed about the Pope in Brazil and the Canonization. But Jung called this kind of thing synchronicity, though this particular situation may or may not rise to the level of that label. The fact that the events are significant is the important thing to me.

I’ve never been one to have “visions” or “supernatural experiences.” I’m a pretty hard-core skeptic when you get right down to it, but lately I’ve been feeling like Sophia is screaming to get my attention. I wish I could hear what she’s saying.

• Frei Galvão on Wikipedia
• News story 1
• News story 2
• Synchronicity on Wikipedia

 

Meditations on the Festival of Baltane

 

 

 

May 1st is the Festival of Beltane in the AJC, along with other churches and religions, notably many neopagan traditions. Beltane is a Celtic holiday marking the beginning of summer and the coming of prosperity. This festival is marked with the lighting of purifying bonfires and, in some places, the dancing of the May Pole.

 

 

Coming on the heels of Easter, for me Beltane is about rededication. A few weeks ago we celebrated the resurrection and redemption of the Christ. Seen in terms of our own redemption the Festival of Beltane reminds us of the next step on our path to Gnosis. The Christ is symbolically born-again at Easter in order to be purified and prepared for the coming year at Beltane.

Let us take this opportunity to reflect upon our path and purify our hearts for the journey ahead. Prepare yourself for the coming year by setting goals and working towards them. What do you think is a good way to celebrate this festival? I’d love to hear your methods.

 

Pictures from the AJC Conclave

I thought I’d post some pictures here of the AJC Conclave East. The above photo is, from left to right: Rev. Mr. Anthony Silvia, Bishop +Sean McCann, Fr. Scott Rassbach+, and Bishop +William Behun.

Click here for more pictures.